Goodnight, We Love You: The Life And Legend Of Phyllis Diller

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All Rise...

Judge Bryan Pope's high school nickname was Fang... but not for the reason you might suspect.

The Charge

Go under the wigs and behind the scenes as the Queen of Comedy, Phyllis
Diller, goes out on top.

The Case

Watching the brief audience Q&A included on this package, one worries
about which Phyllis Diller is in store for us on the feature presentation. Will
it be the mugging wiseacre we see here, practically begging for public
acceptance and digging for her next punchline, or will it be the softer, more
guarded side of Diller, a side that the best comedians always seem to
harbor?

Rest assured, dear friends, that it's the latter. Director Gregg Barson has
done a fantastic job of showing us the woman beneath the wig, the humanity
behind the act. Goodnight, We Love You, which picked up several
"best documentary" awards when it ran the film festival circuit
several years back, is an entertaining, often illuminating glimpse into the life
of a comedy legend.

Diller, who was in her mid-80s at the time, invited Barson and his crew into
her home and her life in the days leading up to her farewell performance. What
surprised me most was Diller's warmth and vulnerability, traits that have always
been miles away from her brash, colorful stage persona.

Barson's film is a little lazy from a structural standpoint. Certain
segments seem randomly placed, while Diller's thoughtful insights on aging would
have packed more punch toward the end. But the fact that Barson gets Diller to
lower her guard is not to be taken lightly, and we learn things that only the
most devout fan probably knew. Diller's an artist and an accomplished concert
pianist. She also plays the harpsichord (and she's quite good), has a weak spot
for classic cars, and enjoys cooking.

Of course, Barson's film gets more intimate. The flamboyant Diller is
surprisingly private, and she launches into a diatribe about personal space and
the symbolic importance of the handshake. She likes silence, and insists on
being left alone during the last few minutes before she walks on stage. In one
telling sequence, she admits to deliberately refusing a starstruck bellhop's
hug, preferring to decide for herself who gets that close to her.

Lest you think Barson's film is a sad farewell to a performer who is putting
herself out to pasture, consider the many fun moments he captures. The expected
tour of Diller's tasteful home, including her outrageous "wig closet,"
is worth the price of admission. But one of the best moments is Diller's reunion
with the "Dustbiters," a society of travel secretaries who have worked
for Diller throughout her career, and they are clearly an appreciative, adoring
bunch. One woman admits her entire life has been defined by her employment with
Diller.

In the end, what emerges from Goodnight, We Love You is a portrait of
a performer who, after 47 years in the business, has finally said
"enough!" to 4 a.m. flights, an ever-changing staff, and the constant
need to "be on." Diller is ready to finish out her life. Simply put,
she's tired.

If you don't buy that—as many people evidently did not—check out
the disc's most generous extra. Diller's final, 43-minute performance has been
recorded and included here in its entirety, and it's a mixed blessing. On the
one hand, it's always a pleasure seeing Diller command the stage. Next to her
husband, the elusive Fang, Diller was her own best target, and the
self-deprecating madame was a master of one-upping her own punchlines before
sending them off with her trademark cackle. If her new material is sometimes
stale (taking a swing at Monica Lewinsky is soooo 1998) or feels like a
Golden Girls' reject ("the best contraception for old people is
nudity"), her old jokes still sparkle. Alas, that's more than can be said
for the Divine Ms. D, who paces from one side of the stage to the other,
frowning, scowling, and looking bored and, yes, very tired.

Also included on this surprisingly loaded package is the aforementioned
10-minute Q&A session featuring Diller and Barson. Recorded at the
documentary's world premiere at the San Diego Film Festival, the feature
consists mostly of Diller trying to impress the audience with off-the-cuff
punchlines that aren't up to par with her usual stuff.

More interesting is the "Dustbiter" featurette, in which Diller
sits down with one of her former secretaries and recalls life on the road. Some
of the anecdotes they share will have you roaring (Diller attracting the
attention of local law enforcement when she went shopping for whips and boots
while dressed as a nun).

Goodnight, We Love You is presented in 1.78:1 nonanamorphic
widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound. No subtitles. It's a strong,
clean presentation for a fine documentary, and the package is a perfect
companion to the recently released Phyllis
Diller: Not Just Another Pretty Face.

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